Products getting damaged while shipping is something that no seller wants to face. Firstly, a damaged product leads to an unpleasant experience for the customers, and secondly, the seller also incurs lose and has to bear return shipping charges. Thus, efficient product packaging plays a crucial role here.
It directly interacts with your customers for an online store, and it is also the first touchpoint for them. Thus, it is important that it is a pleasant one. A carefully crafted and personalized experience can leave an everlasting impression on your customers’ minds. Good packaging also keeps the products safe during transit and protects the product from bouncing around in the package or being crushed.
As said above, packing things the right way also helps save money as it ensures the product is not damaged or misplaced during transit. On that note, your business’ reputation is also not at stake.
Product Packaging Efficiency Tips
Let us take a look at how you can improve product packaging efficiency:
Plan Packaging Design in Advance
Most businesses plan the product packaging at the last moment. However, the packaging design must not be an afterthought, and you must think about it from the beginning. When you decide to sell a particular product, decide its packaging in advance. It is crucial to win your customers’ attention and get more sales.
With product packaging design, consider its cost as well. Don’t let the packaging, inner and shipping both, burn a hole in your pocket.
Gather Data
You don’t have to use artificial intelligence or some major technology, but it only makes sense to capitalize on this trend. You can use different methods of collecting data – it is a key determining factor for packaging efficiency.
You can collect information like what makes your consumers feel excited. Many brands these days use attractive packaging that reflects their style and product. Consumers also tend to like it. So, you can consider collecting data about the likes and dislikes of your customers and accordingly plan to package.
Packaging Application
One key thing that you must consider is the application of the packaging. If your products are fragile, you must use sturdy packaging. For instance, you can ship a delicate glass vase in a 3 or 4-ply corrugated box that will keep the product safe during transit. A corrugated box will absorb all the outside pressure and friction while ensuring the product is secured inside.
For less fragile products like books, you can use courier bags as well. A courier bag keeps the product safe from water and moisture. It is also tamper-proof, and thus, your customer is assured that the product is not tampered with during transit.
Besides, you can also use some packaging inserts for all types of products to keep the product in place inside the packaging.
Packaging Size
Most sellers buy packaging in one size only and ship all their products in it. However, it only makes sense to curate or buy packaging in different sizes as per all the products and use the packaging according to the product’s size.
Using a shoebox-sized packaging box for shipping a pen will only make your customers’ experience with you unpleasant. Besides, it will also lead to extra shipping costs (volumetric weight).
Thus, you should decide the packaging size as per the size of the products you are shipping. And if you ship multiple products, use packaging of different sizes.
Performance Metrics
Finalizing packaging is not the final step. It is important that you also measure its success. Check on customer reviews – it will help improve packaging efficiency. Take necessary steps to improve packaging as per the reviews.
Leverage Advanced Packaging
There are some solutions in the market that are designed to provide additional protection to the products inside. These packaging meet regulation standards and don’t require heavy liners or fillers – they don’t require additional protective materials.
